1. ذِكْرٌ جَمِيلٌ يُوسُفٌ قد جَدَّدَهْ

    وذخيرةٌ في الصّالحات مُخَلَّدَة

    Yusuf has renewed a noble remembrance,

    and a treasure made everlasting among good deeds.

  2. ذا الجامعُ الْحَسَنُ الذي هُوَ جنّةٌ

    لولا رسومُ الدّين فيه مُرَدَّدَة

    This beautiful mosque, which is a garden of paradise,

    were it not for the religious rites repeated within it.

  3. بيتٌ على التّقوى تأسّس والهدى

    فَأَبُو المحاسِنِ بالرّضى ما أَسْعَدَهْ

    A house founded upon piety and guidance:

    thus, how blessed with favor is Abu al-Mahasin!

  4. ولكَم أتى فيما بنى بمحاسنٍ

    جُمُلٍ ولكنْ ذي محاسنُ مفرَدَة

    How often, in what he built, he brought forth beauties

    in abundance; yet these beauties are unique.

  5. مَدَدٌ من الباشا العظيم جرى له

    فأتَتْ به منه الأمورُ مُسَدَّدة

    Aid from the great Pasha flowed to him,

    and through that aid from him, affairs were set aright.

  6. لا بَلْ هو الْبَانِي ولكن حبُّه

    فَضْلَ الخفا في الخَيْرِ قد أخفى يَدَهْ

    No, rather, he is the builder; but his love

    for the virtue of doing good unseen has hidden his hand.

  7. حمّودةُ الباشا وما أدراك ما

    مَلِكٌ به نِعَمُ الإِلاهِ مُجَدَّدَة

    Hammuda Pasha—and how could you know what

    a king he is, through whom God's blessings are renewed!

  8. نامت به الخضراء في ظلّ الهنا

    وغَدَتْ لأجفان العِداءِ مُسَهِّدَة

    Through him, al-Khadra slept in the shade of bliss,

    and left the eyelids of enemies sleepless.

  9. ولكم له من صالحاتٍ رُصِّعَتْ

    تاجاً على رأس الزّمان مُنَضَّدَة

    How many good deeds of his were set as jewels,

    arrayed as a crown upon the head of Time!

  10. صُنْعٌ به ابتهجت ملائكةُ السّما

    وغدت به شِيَعُ الأبالس مُكْمَدَة

    A deed through which the angels of heaven rejoiced,

    and through it the factions of devils were plunged into gloom.

  11. يَهْنِي الورى وخصوصاً العُلَمَاءَ وال

    صُّلَحَاءَ أنوارٌ له مُتَوَقِّدَة

    Gladdening humankind, especially the scholars and the

    righteous, are lights blazing for him.

  12. ما شِئتَ من علمٍ قبست ومن هُدىً

    يُهْدَى به للّه مَنْ قد أيَّدَهْ

    You draw whatever knowledge you wish, and guidance

    by which whoever supported it is guided to God.

  13. ما شئت من آيِ الكتاب وسُنَّةٍ

    هذي مُسَلسَلَةٌ وتلك مُجَوَّدَة

    Whatever verses of the Book and Prophetic tradition you wish:

    the latter linked in transmission, the former expertly recited.

  14. يَهْدِي المفسِّرُ والمحدِّث منهما

    لِينَ الفؤادِ وأَدْمُعاً مُتَبَدِّدة

    The exegete and the traditionist lead, through both,

    to tenderness of heart and tears scattered abroad.

  15. فاللّهُ يَجْزيه الرّضى ويُنِيلُهُ

    غُرَفَ الْجِنَانِ وثَمَّ يُزلف مَقْعَدَهْ

    So may God reward him with favor and grant him

    the chambers of Paradise, and there draw his seat near.

  16. فاشْكُرْ له واسْأَلْ وَقُلْ متعجّباً

    ومؤرّخا للّه ما قد شيّدَهْ

    So thank him, pray, and say in wonder,

    and marking the date: 'By God, what a structure he has raised!'

  17. هذا سبيلٌ حسنه يزداد

    وثوابُه يومَ القيامة زادُ

    This is a public fountain whose beauty keeps increasing,

    and its reward on Resurrection Day is provision.

  18. رِدْ منه سلسالاً فُراتا سائغاً

    طُهراً ومنتعِشاً به الأكبادُ

    Drink from it smooth-flowing water, sweet and palatable,

    pure, with livers refreshed by it.

  19. أجراه يَرْجُو نَيْلَ حُسْنِ ثوابه

    مَنْ في الورى خُتِمَتْ به الأجوادُ

    He made it flow, hoping to gain its goodly reward—

    he who is the seal of the generous among humankind.

  20. ذاك الهُمامُ أبو المحاسنِ يوسفٌ

    مَنْ رُشْدُهُ شهِدتْ به الأضداد

    That magnanimous man, Abu al-Mahasin Yusuf,

    whose sound judgment even his opponents attest,

  21. ذو طابع المُلْكِ الذي عزماتُه

    لِمُهنّداتِ سيوفه أغماد

    bearer of the royal seal, whose resolves

    are sheaths for his swords of Indian steel.

  22. مَلِكٌ جرى في الصّالحات إلى مدى

    تَنْبَتُّ دون بلوغه الأقْدَادُ

    A king who raced in good deeds to a reach

    before attaining which his peers fall away.

  23. وله من التّوفيق أَطْوَعُ ساعدٍ

    ومن العناية في المهمّ سِناد

    Success gives him the most obedient arm,

    and providence gives him support in weighty affairs.

  24. فأتى بما أيّامُنَا بجماله

    اللّه يعلم أنّها أعياد

    Thus he achieved that through whose beauty our days—

    God knows—are feast days.

  25. وتقلّدَتْ للملك منه ترائبٌ

    فلسانه لصنيعه حَمَّادُ

    The king's breast is adorned with necklaces through him,

    so his tongue lavishes praise upon his handiwork.

  26. حمّودةُ الباشا الذي أخبارُه

    يُهْدِي إليك عطيرَها التّردادُ

    Hammuda Pasha, whose reports

    have their fragrance conveyed to you by repeated telling.

  27. فخرت به الدّنيا وكم للدّين مِنْ

    فَخْرٍ به إذْ قام منه عِمَادُ

    The world takes pride in him; and how much religion has

    to boast of in him, since through him its pillar arose!

  28. هذا السّبيلُ وإن بَنَاهُ وزيرُه

    فيه ومنه تَيَسَّرَ الإِمدَادُ

    This fountain, though his minister built it,

    had aid made available through him and from him.

  29. فَهَبِ الدُّعاءَ إذِ انْتَهَلْتَ كُؤوسَهُ

    إنّ الدّعاء من السّبيل يُرَادُ

    So offer a prayer when you drink your fill from its cups;

    indeed, prayer is what is sought through the fountain.

  30. واشْكُرْ لِمَنْ أسدى إليك مُسَارِعاً

    إنّ المَزِيدَ لشاكِرٍ ينقادُ

    And thank whoever hastened to do you good;

    for more bounty comes readily to the grateful.

  31. واعجبْ لها إذ قد أتى تاريخُها

    يَحْيَى بِعَذْب معينها الوُرّادُ

    And marvel at it, for its date is given thus:

    'Those who come to drink live by its sweet spring-water.'

  32. حُلُولُ السّعدِ في بُرجِ السّعادة

    زِفافُ البَيْرَميّةِ للسّيادة

    The advent of good fortune in the tower of happiness:

    al-Bayramiyya's wedding to eminence,

  33. بآمنِ طائرٍ وألذِّ عَيْشٍ

    وأرضى عند سيّدنا وَدادة

    with the safest omen and the sweetest life,

    and affection most pleasing to our master.

  34. غَدَتْ حوراء لولا أنّ فيها

    من الآداب والتّقوى زيادة

    She has become a houri, except that in her

    there is yet more refinement and piety.

  35. فيَهْنِينا وإيّاكُمْ سرورٌ

    نُرَجِّي أن يُرَى كالعيد عادة

    So may a joy gladden us and you,

    which we hope to see recur like a feast day.

  36. تبَسَّم منه ثَغْرُ الدّين لمّا

    تَوَسَّم من سعادته سدادة

    Religion's mouth smiled at it when

    it discerned soundness in its happiness.

  37. وكم بقِلادَةِ جيدٍ تحلّى

    ولكن ذا الْبِنَا شَرَفُ القِلاَدَة

    And many a necklace has adorned its neck,

    but this building is the glory of the necklace.

  38. أسَرَّ العالمين سوى حسودٍ

    كوى بسعير محنته فؤادَه

    It delighted everyone, save an envious man,

    whose heart it seared with the blaze of his torment.

  39. وسار حديثُه في النّاس يُرْوَى

    عطيراً مسنداً عن كل سادة

    Its story spread among the people, recounted

    fragrant, with its transmission traced to all the masters.

  40. سما فوق السّماء فلا عجيبَ

    لِغَيْظ البدر إذ أبدى سواده

    It rose above the heavens, so there is no wonder

    at the full moon's rage when it revealed its darkness.

  41. ومَنْ ظنّ الخُسوفَ بَدَا لِشرٍّ

    فَخَيْرُ الخلق قد ردَّ اعتقادَه

    And whoever thought the eclipse appeared for some evil—

    the best of creation has refuted his belief.

  42. أدام اللّهُ عزَّهما وأَمْناً

    من الحِدْثانِ لا نخشى نفادَه

    May God perpetuate the glory of them both, and safety

    from time's calamities—a safety whose end we need not fear.

  43. أَحَطْتُ بما بعثتَ إليّ خُبْراً

    من الصُّوَرِ المُدَارةِ كالقِلاَدَة

    I have gained full knowledge of what you sent me—

    the forms circulated like a necklace.

  44. فكان الرّأيُ أن لا خُلفَ فيها

    لِمَا تحويه من حُسْنِ الإِجادة

    So my judgment was that there is no discrepancy in them,

    given the beauty of the fine execution they contain.

  45. فلا زلتم مناراً في رشادٍ

    ولكن غَيْرَ مختصرِ الإِفادة

    May you ever remain a beacon of right guidance,

    but never sparing in what you impart.